In 2009, established broadcast journalism veteran Dr. Lawrence Pintak joined the College as the founding dean. A former CBS News Middle East correspondent, Pintak has been called the foremost chronicler of the interaction between Arab and Western media. His books and articles focus on America’s relationship with the Muslim world, the role of the media in shaping global perceptions and government policy, and the future of journalism in a digital/globalized world. Pintak's international experience helped yield several prestigious grants and awards to the College, including new partnerships with the Department of State and The Carnegie-Knight Foundation.

In 2010, the former Consortium for the Study of Communication & Decision Making, initiated in 2002, was elevated to formal university center status and now is known as the Murrow Center for Media & Health Promotion. The Center has increased the visibility and impact of Murrow College's health communication research. It has also developed partnerships with other colleges and universities, as well as with state agencies such as the Department of Health, Liquor Control Board and Division of Behavioral and Health Recovery.

Also in 2010, the College debuted the Murrow News Service (MNS). This initiative provides local, regional and statewide stories reported and written by journalism students at The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. The same year brought the prestigious Northwest Public Radio and Northwest Public Television under the control of the College. As a result, students now have more exposure to and immersion with impactful and well-established broadcast media outlets under the same roof.

In 2012, the College expanded to include multiple new digital-focused faculty and facilities. All former sequences were modernized to inject a greater emphasis on digital-focused production and processes into the classroom and curriculum. As part of this initiative, the College replaced the previous six sequences with three new "converged" sequences: Communication & Society, Journalism & Media Production and Strategic Communication.